During a childhood trip to the zoo, did you ever stop in front of the elephant habitat and just stare with wonderment, marveling at the fact that a living creature could be that f*cking huge? I did—and, though I’ve grown older, wiser and considerably more jaded in the meantime, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the echoes of that same sense of awe upon hearing street vet Killer Mike and B.K. rapper/producer El-P clash with two titans of Southern rap on Big Beast, the lead single off their collaborative album. Over El-Producto’s squelching synth-bass and pummeling percussion, Mike issues a stern warning to all who would set foot in the urban jungle that is A-Town. UGK lifer Bun B and Grand Hustle kingpin T.I., are next on the mic, the former revisiting a scene from his hard-bitten upbringing and the latter opining on the difficulty of keeping one’s nose clean amidst the constant turmoil of ‘hood life. Mike then returns to deliver a bruising 16 on the back end, and Trouble ties it all together with a gritty sung hook. Mike and EL’s R.A.P. (Rebellious African People’s) Music album is out now and available for purchase on iTunes.

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